Utility Scale PV

Australian oil and gas producer Woodside Energy’s plans to install up to one million solar panels and a grid-scale battery in Western Australia’s Pilbara region is a step closer to realisation after the project won local development approval.

Western Australian government-owned utility Synergy’s plan to build a 500 MW/2,000 MWh battery energy storage system in the state’s southwest to improve system security and support increased renewable energy generation in the main grid has been given the tick of approval by planning authorities.

A report from Ernst & Young shows that despite inflationary pressures, solar remains the cheapest source of new-build electricity. The global weighted average levelised cost of electricity for PV is now 29% lower than the cheapest fossil fuel alternative.

Australian commercial solar outfit CleanPeak Energy will deliver at least four new solar farms in regional New South Wales after striking a green energy deal with the state government that will ensure the long-term carbon neutrality of Sydney’s Barangaroo precinct.

A “major influx” of new renewable generation and storage capacity is poised to connect to Australia’s main grid with the energy market operator revealing almost 150 projects representing more than 31 GW of new capacity are in the application and pre-registration stages.

Victorian network operator AusNet has commenced construction of a transmission network upgrade that is expected to reduce generation constraints and improve network stability in the state’s southwest, unlocking 1.5 GW of additional renewable energy generation capacity.

GCube Insurance says that hail damage accounts for less than 2% of filed claims but constitutes more than 50% of total costs for solar facility loss claims.

One of Australia’s largest property developers has joined forces with Energy Bay, which specialises in distributed renewable energy solutions for property landlords. Energy Bay is making it possible for Stockland to utilise the energy produced at its properties with large rooftops and low energy use, such as its warehouses, to provide extra energy for its high-energy use properties.

Another small-scale solar farm has connected to the grid in Victoria with developer Bison Energy announcing that the 4.95 MW Cosgrove Solar Farm near Shepperton has powered up, marking the commencement of its commissioning phase.

New South Wales was home to 13 of the top 20 performing solar farms in November, with the state generating 682 GWh from utility-scale PV. Overall, Australia’s large-scale renewable generation was up 7% from the previous November, Rystad’s Senior Renewables Analyst Dave Dixon said.